These crispy goodness was served last Friday!
It’s my first time to make something out of a pork belly other than a stewed viand, and making it extra [crispy] like so. Lechon is a famous celebratory food in the Philippines. The local term Lechon is a slow- roasted pig cooked while rotating over piles of charcoal, and repeatedly brushed with aromatics and special sauces. It’s so famous that the late Anthony Bourdain didn’t pass the chance of trying it straight from Cebu, Philippines.
Because there are days that are non fiesta, and that there’s not always a room for the whole set up, there’s an alternative to use the belly portion without losing the festive factor. Usually they tie the belly in a circular fashion with aromatics such as lemon grass and some herbs in the center and equally spread for the savor. But for a beginner like me, and the dinner depends on me without re- doing it, I’m doing first the simpler version. 😉
Last month, we got invited for a home dinner and each of us prepared pot-lock to share. Coming from different parts of Southeast Asia, we cooked something famous from our country and from then on, we agreed to host the next dinner and have a dish from our respective native land. I am not claiming that roast pork belly is entirely a filipino delicacy, but since our country is a melting pot, we just developed our own ingredients and sauces for a distinct taste that remind us of home.
I adapted the recipe from Jakobe TV and Eat Sarap for me to know how I can crisp up the pork belly skin and for the savor. Original recipe would include lemon grass, star anise, cinnamon bark, however I like to see if I can work on what I have in my pantry. I think it worked though– that again, according to my husband and our friends too. Please click on the link for the original recipe but feel free to scroll down for my devised one.
- Materials:
- casserole
- flat baking pan
- oven grill
- brush
- Ingredients:
- pork belly 1kg
- 5 cups water
- bay leaves (2 ounces)
- garlic (1/4 cup)
- rock salt ( 1tbsp)
- crushed peppercorns (1 tbsp)
- dried oregano (1/2 tsp)
- dried thyme (1/2 tsp)
- nutmeg (1/4 tsp, optional)
- fish sauce (1 tbsp)
- Lemon grass (optional)
- Star anise (optional)
- SAUCE:
- cane vinegar and soy sauce 1:1
- chilli peppers/ cayennes peppers
- salt and pepper
- Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce (at your asian/filipino store if here in Australia)
- Procedure:
- Preheat oven for 190ºC
- Place the water on the casserole with the salt, pepper, bay leaves, herbs and garlic. Boil for 5 minutes
- Once boiled, put the pork and in a low heat, boil for 1 1/2 hours to build up the flavor
- Set aside the pork and brush all sides with fish sauce
- Cut the pork in portions halfway so flavor can seep in
- Add dash of salt in the skin part
- Place the pork belly over the oven grill with the flat pan on the bottom so as to catch the juice while baking
- Bake for 60 minutes
- To add the crispiness of the skin, set the temperature to 175ºC and broil for another 15 minutes
- Serve and enjoy!
- Total time:Boiling- 90 minutes
- Oven time- 75 minutes
- Serves: 2-3 persons
The Housewife, MD 